Mystery surrounds the life and death of ‘free-spirited family’
They were known as the Hart Tribe, a free-spirited family of two women and their six adopted children who raised their own food, took spontaneous road trips and travelled to festivals and other events, offering free hugs and promoting unity.
Their final journey ended not in hugs but in tragedy.
All eight were presumed dead after their SUV plunged off a 30m cliff along a seaside California highway in a mysterious wreck discovered on Tuesday — three days after childwelfare authorities were called to the Harts’ rural Washington state home to investigate possible abuse or neglect.
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the crash, and the sheriff said there is “no evidence and no reason to believe that this was an intentional act”. At the same time, he said there were no skid marks and no sign the brakes were applied at the highway pull-off area where the vehicle went over.
The case has thrown a spotlight on the Hart family’s previous run-ins with the law and neighbours’ concerns about the youngsters.
Friends described married couple Jennifer and Sarah Hart as loving, inspiring parents who promoted social justice and exposed their “remarkable children” to art, music and nature.
One of the children, Devonte Hart, drew national attention after the black youngster was photographed in tears, hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, over the deadly police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri. The boy was holding a “Free Hugs” sign.
The Hart Tribe also went to events such as rallies for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, often showing up in matching T-shirts.
They moved to Woodland, Washington, outside Portland, last year, partly overwhelmed by the media coverage. The family had received death threats, a family friend said.
“This is a tragic accident of a magnitude that cannot be measured,” said Zippy Lomax, a photographer who knew the Harts. “They were really radiant, warm, adventurous, inspiring people. They were always on some grand adventure.”
But neighbours said they saw signs that caused them to worry about how the homeschooled children were being cared for.
Next-door neighbours Bruce and Dana DeKalb said they called child services last Saturday because Devonte, now 15, had been coming over to their house asking for food.
Dana DeKalb said Devonte told her that his parents were “punishing them by withholding food”. He came over almost every day for a week and asked her to leave food in a box by the fence for him, she said.
Washington state child-protective services opened an investigation and tried to make contact with the family three times but weren’t able to reach them, said Norah West, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Social and Health Services.
The DeKalbs also also said one of the girls once rang their doorbell at 1.30am “in a blanket saying we needed to protect her”.
Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said on Thursday as he appealed for help retracing where the family had been: “We know that an entire family vanished and perished during this tragedy.”